Teammates and rival players have always sought out David Ortiz, because beyond his big-swing, big-moment stardom, he exudes a warmth and geniality that soften his sometimes blunt messages. The F-bomb that Ortiz dropped into the middle of a speech at Fenway Park in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings inspired a mantra -- This is our f---ing city -- so perfect that even social media's profanity mafia, normally easily offended, stood down.
On another noteworthy stage on Tuesday, during a news conference held for the newest Hall of Fame inductee, Ortiz again made himself perfectly clear: "Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are Hall of Famers," Ortiz told reporters.